This invention relates to a mechanism for controlling the extension of a boat anchor line from a small boat, e.g. a small fishing boat having a length less than twenty five feet. The mechanism is designed to be detachable from the boat, whereby the mechanism can be used on any boat where it might be needed.
Persons owning two or more small boats sometimes encounter the problem of not having a boat anchor for one of the boats. Occasionally a boat anchor and line will be stolen from a boat. To meet these situations the present invention provides a detachable mechanism for operatively connecting a boat anchor and anchor line to a boat. The mechanism is detachable from any boat on which it is installed; the mechanism can therefore be used interchangeably on different boats, as the need may arise. Because of its detachable character the mechanism can be safely stored in any desired location away from the owner's boats, where the mechanism can be safeguarded against theft.
In a preferred form of the invention the mechanism includes a manually-operated line-gripper device for locking the line in any selected degree of extension from the boat, as might be necessary to anchor the boat in waters of different depths or to hold the boat different distances away from the submerged anchor. The mechanism is designed as a relatively low cost detachable device, so that it can be readily purchased by the average fisherman for use on small fishing boats.